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There.

I didn’t need anything else.

“You know that one.”

His expression flattened. “I know the format.”

“Not what I said.”

“You are attempting to manipulate my responses.”

“Yes.”

That answer came out before I considered whether admitting it was wise.

Veyr stared at me.

I stared back.

Eventually, he asked, “Why?”

I folded my arms. “Because you questioned me like I was lying from the second you found me.”

“You were lying.”

“About my name.”

“You are Talia Mercer.”

“Yes. That was the lie.” His mouth tightened slightly.

I continued. “You watched my face. My breathing. My hands. You searched my bag. You compared everything I said against whatever version of me somebody sent you.”

“That was necessary.”

“Fine.” I tapped the identifier again. “Now I’m doing the same thing.”

His eyes narrowed. “You are not trained for interrogation.”

“No. I’m trained to notice when information doesn’t match.”

That shut him up.

I sat forward. “You react differently to some of these records.”

“That does not mean I recognize them.”

“It means they mean something to you.”

He said nothing.

I pointed at the screen. “That one makes you tense.”

No response.

“This one doesn’t.”

Still nothing.